


Jealousy

by DragonLover19



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: Fluff, If You Squint - Freeform, Just slightly, M/M, POV First Person, Swinlock - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:15:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23645230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonLover19/pseuds/DragonLover19
Summary: Was he a jealous type?Quite frankly, he didn’t really know. He was good at many things, but emotions were not his strong point. Sure he could smile when he was impressed or growl when things went bad fast, but jealous? Him? Very unlikely.
Relationships: Lockdown & Swindle, Lockdown/Swindle
Kudos: 42





	Jealousy

Was he a jealous type?

Quite frankly, he didn’t really know. He was good at many things, but emotions were not his strong point. Sure he could smile when he was impressed or growl when things went bad fast, but jealous? Him? Very unlikely.

He could get grumpy and he enjoyed the thrill of a good chase, but other than that, he really didn’t seem to have a tight hold on his emotions. Which was a good thing for him in some case. Emotions tended to get in the way and sometimes drag you down in a spiraling out of control ship. That logic was dug deep into his processor by Yoketron.

Still though, it didn’t mean other bots could hide their emotions as well as he could. Swindle was a prime example of that. Though, it could be his eyes were to blame for. Big, wide, searching for an easy target he could use his name sake on. Those eyes were a dead giveaway to his personality and feelings, not that the bot could hide them for the spark of life in him.

When that bot showed his emotions, he didn’t hide them or lock them away. When he was unhappy, he would show it. When he was happy, he would show it. When he was scheming something, he would show it. When he realizes that a deal has quickly gone sour, he showed it.

A few times he pointed it out during one of their ‘exchanges’ and usually the comment would get waved away by the back of Swindle’s large servo. The bot never stay focused on anything other than a deal, and anything else would get shoved away.

It was one of Swindle’s strongest and weakest suites. The bot was always looking for a deal to make, even with the most gruesome and low some of bots around. He figured he was no exception, but then again they’ve been doing business together for so many stellar cycles now, they could almost say they were on ‘friendly’ terms with each other.

Not good _friend_ friends per say, but more on the line of being very well acquainted with each other. If they were _friends_ then that would certainly put a hamper on both of their business. He rather much prefer to just be good associates than friends. The feeling seemed to be mutual between him and Swindle as the bot never seemed to break character of who he was, even when they were alone doing deals together.

Swindle was always just that. A swindling bot, who enjoyed swindling every last scruple out each and every bot he came across. Even to his favorite customers and long term familiar bots.

But, on a rare account, when no one was looking, the bot tended to… _drop_.

He hadn’t meant to see it happen the first time, he hadn’t even meant to find out about it. If he was being honest, he hadn’t meant to find out about that side of Swindle or find something else there as well.

Sure the bot oozed emotions, sure he liked to sell weapons on the highest bid, sure he could act friendly just to sway someone to buy something they probably don’t need or would ever use in their life time, but this? Well, he wasn’t sure what it was.

The first time it happened, it was after a usual business deal between them. He knew he shouldn’t had gone back to check on the bot, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him that day. Maybe it would have been better if he had just stayed in the hall and asked what the noise was, but that would have been out of character himself and, as he came to find out, Swindle most likely wouldn’t, no, _couldn’t_ have answered him back.

Seeing the smaller bot face down on the floor had sent warning horns going off in his head. And no amount of probing or face slaps stirred the bot. He was not the most gentle of bots, his looks screamed it quite loudly, but he did get a tad bit concerned when the bot remained in stasis lock for a long period of time. He was almost starting to think about getting the bot to a doctor before those purple optics shot open after megacycles of being shut.

What came after was not what he was expecting.

All the normal cocky attitude and prize winning coy smirk was gone. The high energy and confidence had been replaced, leaving a bot who could barely get up and move. His big wide optics were dull and lifeless, lacking their usual shine and brightness. It had taken him a long time to realize that Swindle wasn’t faking it when he tried to pass it off as _fine_ under a breathless, _emotionless_ tone when he pressed for details about his condition.

Seeing this side of Swindle had been… _frightening_ , to say the least of it. He was more used to seeing the bot act high and mighty, swaying things in his way with a confidence that couldn’t be rivaled. But this? This was surly something new and certainly out of character for Swindle. And he didn’t like it. Not one bit. 

After that, the bot went back to normal the following solar cycle, making a complete one eighty and acting like nothing had happened. _While also generously bribing him with a couple new weapons to keep his yap quiet about the matter._

Still, it didn’t stop him from seeing that side of Swindle like they both had hoped.

Every once in a real rare while, Swindle would ‘drop’. It was a rare occurrence and usually Swindle would ‘drop’ when he was alone, but a few times, he managed to stumble across the bot when he ‘dropped’. When that happened, he usually stuck around the bot to make sure his best source of upgrades didn’t go offline. The first couple of times he was given plenty of upgrades just to keep his yap shut of the matter, but over time, it became a usual thing between them.

Swindle would ‘drop’, he kept an optic on them, they go their separate ways without ever speaking about it ever again. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat. Same old, same old.

They were so used to it, he was almost in tuned to when the next ‘drop’ would be before Swindle even knew himself. And whether he liked it or not, he always found himself going back to the bot when he was about to ‘drop’ with the usual excuse of looking for a new weapon to upgrade himself with.

‘Drops’ usually ended with him getting a new upgrade or small talk with Swindle.

This latest ‘drop’ should have been no different. It _shouldn’t_ have been. But for some reason, the last ‘client’ Swindle had somehow rubbed him the wrong way.

Neither of them realized he was there, standing in the back of the room, watching them in the shadows. The bot was a mech in top condition with nice looking equipment on him, his bright colors standing out of the normal Decepticon colors. Swindle had the bot wrapped around his words, dragging the bot in with his sly words and coy charming smile. It always was a marvel to be reminded just how _small_ Swindle was compared to any other Decepticon, yet he stood tall with an aura that screamed confidence and in control that could rival even the biggest of bots height.

He tuned out whatever Swindle was saying, having long mastered not to care hearing whatever the bot droned on and on about while trying to sell a weapon. Words didn’t matter much to him, something that had taken Swindle a long time to figure out. Didn’t mean it made him stop talking. The smaller bot had a thing for using his words than keeping himself quiet. Sure he _could_ be quiet, but that was only when he needed to be and not when he wanted to.

It was just how Swindle was and who he is. A smart aleck who didn’t know when to shut up and listen when he was on a roll. It was both charming and annoying to listen to.

Though, the way the bot was looking at him…

The red optics following every movement and jester Swindle made, the tilt of his body edging just slightly closer to the smaller bot, the small smirk on his face when Swindle looked at him. The sirens in his helm were getting louder. He wanted to punch the bot when he stepped closer to Swindle, wanted him to realize that the smaller bot felt uncomfortable to how close he was getting and how tenses he was getting by those looks.

Though Swindle was oozing confidence, his eyes were dimmer and had less of the bight shine they normally held in a conversation. They didn’t hold the same confidence his voice held, nor did they look the bot the same way the mech was looking at him.

The bot made a comment here and there, something about the weapon Swindle was trying to sell which Swindle would go into detail about the device. Then the mech asked for a demonstration, to which Swindle complied, aiming the weapon at a test target and showing the weapon’s power. He had to admit, it did have impressive firepower.

_And then the mech traced a slow digit across Swindle’s shoulder._

His body tensed. As apparently did Swindle’s as the smaller mech went quiet a moment, a split nanoklik, before he turned around with a big grin on his face and talking about the weapon again, acting like nothing happened. _But he could read from Swindle’s body language that the bot wasn’t really feeling how he was acting._

A few words were exchanged between them, _some of which made his body tense more and more with each word that came from the Con’s intake,_ and in the end Swindle managed to sell the weapon, _double the price than it was worth_ , and easily scored a few more sales as well before the mech finally started to leave. _But not before flashing Swindle a wink and a lingering gaze before leaving._

The moment the door closed and the heavy footfalls were gone, Swindle’s body sagged with a heavy vent, dragging a servo down his faceplate. No doubt in his mind Swindle had been tense since the bot touched him and beyond relieved to see the mech gone.

He was glad as well. Probably more than Swindle, but then again the bot had managed to look relaxed when he knew he was clearly not. Swindle turned, and for the first time since he got here, he could see the stress leaking through the bot’s face. Dark bags were under his eyes, his grin was gone and he looked ready to topple over.

 _Not yet though_.

Those purple optics looked up, looking right at him for the first time since he got here. The reaction was worth the wait as they grew large as Swindle slowly realized he was standing there, back against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest plate. A small part of himself couldn’t help but smirk as he finally spoke.

“He seemed like your type.”

The pure horror on Swindle’s face was priceless and worth more than any weapon and upgrade in the universe. Nanokliks ticked by as Swindle stared at him with wide round optics, his jaw hanging lose as he stared at him in mute horror and shock. When the bot finally shut his mouth in a snap, he narrowed his optics at him and stomped over. “ _No._ No, _slag_ no, out.”

“Aw, but I just got here.” He teased, standing tall as the smaller bot stopped right in front of him, glaring at him with his large purple cat-like optics that were filled with rage, hate, tiredness, drainage, and… relief? That was certainly a new one. Normally, Swindle looked at him with smugness and relaxation, but relief? Certainly not. The mech must have set the smaller bot off more than he thought.

“No, out. I don’t care. _Get out._ ” Swindle hissed, jabbing a large digit in his chest were his symbol used to be. He stood taller than Swindle, by a couple heads or so, yet the smaller bot always managed to make himself appear taller with his emotions. “I’m in no mood for your attitude, or your remarks, or _anything_ coming from you. Get out. Get back to your ship. Get out of my shop. Get. _Out._ ”

He tilted his helm a little, his smirk growing juuuusst a little bit more. “You say that… but your optics are screaming something else.” He replied honestly, because Swindle’s optics were screaming something else. They screamed for help, for reassurance, for comfort, for _something_ that he just couldn’t quite pinpoint, but the smaller bot shook his helm, growling.

“ _No_ , they’re _not._ I don’t know if you can get this through your thick processor, but I’m _clearly_ not in the mood to deal with you.”

“So you’ve said.”

“ _Shut. Up._ I don’t know why you’re here.” A lie. They both knew why he was here. “And I don’t _want_ you here.” Another lie. They both knew he needed him here. It was a sort of arrangement between them. “So kindly take your aft through that door this nanoklik and don’t even bother coming back.”

“Now that’s just rude.” He leaned his helm down a little, looking into those big bright optics. Ten. “I come all this way to see you and already you’re trying to kick me out like a bad customer.”

Swindle huffed, crossing his arms. Which always amazed him how he could do that with such large servos. “Oh please, the only time you actually want to see me is when you want a new weapon. Which I don’t have.”

“Because you just sold it to that other guy a klik ago?” He pushed off the wall, circling Swindle as those optics never took their sight off him. Nine.

“Ye- _No_. That was an old weapon, kept in the back collecting dust. Nothing compared to my new stock.”

He stopped, his smirk turning into a full on grin now. “New stock you say?” Swindle’s optics widened, panic lacing their edges. “Been a while since you got your servos on a new weapon.”

Swindle narrowed his optics. Eight. “Well, yes. Got a few good deals on Rudelex Eight. Good stock on merchandise but I wouldn’t recommend the service there. Completely terrible.”

“The manners?”

“No the swindling. They were so bad at it, they didn’t even realize that I managed to take nearly everything at lower price than the stuff was worth.” Swindle grinned a little, shrugging his shoulders with smugness rolling off him. Seven.

“Well, swindling is your namesake.” It was. The smaller bot had swindled him out of so many trophies he had lost count. His favorite was the mock ten double barrel swiss gun Swindle had managed to bribe out of him. He didn’t personal like the thing, it was too old and could hardly work properly anymore, but he had enjoyed how Swindle tried everything just to get him to sell it to him.

Swindle nodded before his grin quickly vanished, narrowing his optics at him again. Six. “ _Don’t,_ you, dare.”

“Dare? Dare what?” He hooked his servos behind his back, continuing circling Swindle, playing with him like a predator would play with its prey.

“I _know_ what you’re playing at.” Swindle hissed, gritting his denta. Five. “I know you long enough to know what games you’re trying play here, and let me tell you, they’re not going to work on me this time.”

“Oh really?” He moved in front of Swindle, grinning down at him. Four.

“Yes really! You act all high and might, acting like you own the place when _I’m_ the real fragging owner of this joint! You act all calm and cool, in control like nothing can get under your plating, but we both know that’s not true!”

He nodded and hummed, scratching the side of his faceplate with his hook. Three.

“You act you know me sooo well! Like you know every single part of me that even I don’t know!” Considering how well he was in tune to a ‘drop’, that was sort of true. “Screw you! I know myself better than you could ever know!”

“You wanna bet?” He purred as he stepped to the side, sensing a challenge under all those empty words in that false heat of Swindle’s tone. Two.

“ _NO I DON’T!_ I want you out! I want you gone!” Swindle threw his big servos in the air, optics wide and wild, steam was almost seeping out his vents. “ _I don’t want you anywhere near me! I don’t want you here! I! WANT! YOU—_ ”

Swindle’s voice hitched. His irises grew wide than shrunk into slits. A tremble went through his body, starting out small then growing stronger and stronger. His arms dropped to his sides, his knees shook ready to give.

He moved in front of the bot, holding his arms out as Swindle’s optic rolled to the back of his helm, pitching forward slowly before collapsing into his waiting arms out cold. One.

He held Swindle close as his systems slowly shut down, leaving the bot helpless in his servos. Sighing, he patted the back of Swindle’s helm while shaking his own. “You really need to stop overworking yourself Swindle.” He muttered, figuring it was best to get the smaller bot to a berth and let him rest.

The good thing about Swindle’s small body was that the bot wasn’t heavy to move. Swinging one arm under his legs and supporting his back with the other, he carried the unconscious bot to the back room. He peds easily carried him where he needed to go, and sure enough he entered the living quarters of Swindle’s small shop.

He had been back here plenty of times to ignore the fine style and extravagant effort Swindle had put into making this place livable and instead went to the back door, punching in the code and stepped into the room once the door slid open. While the living area screamed high living, this room was scarce of anything personal aside from a desk and large berth pressed to the side of the wall. A little shelf hung overhead, stacked with a few datapads that were filled with nothing important except a few stories.

Romance novels to be exact. He never took Swindle as a romantic before, and it was fun to tease the small bot about it once in a while.

Forgoing any personal image of his reputation he would try to contain, he eased himself onto the berth, dismissing the notice how it was large enough just to fit two bots comfortably, adjusting Swindle so his legs rested between his own while his helm was laid over his spark. Once he was sure Swindle was in a comfortable position, he reached over a grabbed one of the datapads, opening it up where he last left off on it and began reading.

Reading, as he found out, helped to pass the time, as well as keep his nerves down as he waited for Swindle to come online. ‘Drops’ tended to be slightly unpredictable when it came to how long before Swindle regained consciousness. It could take a solar cycle or a magecycle just for the bot to wake up. _And to get his mind off the mech for earlier and the way he looked at Swindle._

Took even longer for the bot to come to his senses.

Still, he had good taste when it came to books.

By the time he was almost to the end of the story, Swindle finally stirred. He didn’t bother to look away from the datapad as those purple optics opened slowly, groaning softly as the world came into focus. “Mornin’.” He mumbled, not caring if it was morning or not. His internal clock told him that Swindle had been out for at least two and a quarter megacycles, though he dismissed it and kept his focus on the story.

“… Lock… down?” Swindle muttered softly. It sounded off hearing the normal energy he had in his voice suddenly be gone. It sounded so weak and hopeless.

“Yeah, just me.” He huffed, rapping his knuckles on the back of Swindle’s helm. “Ya had another ‘drop’ idiot. You’re lucky that mech didn’t stick around.” Talking about that mech left a bad taste in his mouth, though his face remained neutral.

Swindle was quiet a moment, and he was sure he had gone back to recharging, till he felt the smaller bot move. He tensed a bit as Swindle wrapped his large servos around his middle, rubbing his helm on his chest and hugging him close. “… ‘m sorry.” He mumbled, squeezing his middle just enough for him to feel. “… didn’t… mean to… jealous…”

“… _What?_ ” He looked away from the datapad, looking down at Swindle for the first time.

The bot’s optics were soft, his irises were almost full blown while deep bags were highlighted by the soft purple glow. “… made you… jealous.” Swindle repeated, rubbing his helm on his chest. “… sound… mad… ‘bout that… bot… didn’t mean… to…”

“I’m _not_ jealous.” He sighed, adjusting a bit so he sat up a bit more so that he wasn’t laying on Swindle’s servos. “You know I don’t have any emotions. Especially if you’re involved somehow.”

“… not… mad?”

“No. I ain’t mad. Nor am I jealous. You ain’t that type of bot.”

“… you said… my type…”

“It was a joke.” He rolled his optics, not understanding how Swindle couldn’t see how he hadn’t been jealous because, for one, they both knew Swindle didn’t like bots that towered over him, and two, he wasn’t interested in getting into a relationship. Any sort of relationship. “For knowing how to read bots, you sure are a blockhead at reading the room sometimes Swindle.”

“… but you sounded mad.”

“Well, I wasn’t… I know you well enough to know that no bot can make you fall for ‘em.” He looked back at the datapad. “… you just don’t swing that way.”

“… heh.” Swindle chuckled softly, rubbing his helm slowly over his spark. “… okay.”

“Good. Now go back to recharging. You know how grumpy you get when you don’t get enough rest after a ‘drop’. And when ya do wake up, you and I are going to have a small chat about your new stock you failed to mention on our last talk.”

Swindle said something, but he was too quiet to hear properly. Not that it mattered, the blockhead was in recharge again no sooner had he closed his optics. Soon he was softly venting, muttering in his sleep about random things.

He waited a good long while before smirking, reaching for another datapad after finishing up the last one and began reading with his chin resting on Swindle’s helm. No, he wasn’t jealous. He’d never be jealous. Swindle would never make him jealous because he knew that Swindle would never show interests in other bots. His eyes would always reflect his emotions, and he could always tell what the smaller bot was feeling.

Maybe that was why he trusted him to keep quiet about these ‘drops’. Or how he felt comfortable being near him enough not to scoot away in disgust when he woke up. Or how he tended to snuggled a bit and like to keep a tight hold on something, or namely some _one_ , when he recharged. These little things he knew because Swindle trusted him enough never to talk about it to anyone, just like how he trusted Swindle to never talk about his own little quirks he let slip sometimes around the smaller bot.

They were comfortable with each other, knowing things that other bots were never allowed to know and keeping those secrets safe in their sparks where no one would ever find them.

So, no. He would never be jealous. Swindle just wasn’t that type of bot to get jealous at.


End file.
